This is my response to Times naive Global Warming Survival Guide (Time Magazin, April 9, 2007): Everything mentioned in the "Global Warming Survival Guide" represents steps in the right direction, however, even in combination all those actions are little more than holding a paper-sheet in front of ones face as a protection against a nuclear bomb. In this context I like to quote Philip K. Dick: "Reality is that which, when you stop believing in it, doesn't go away." In addition, reality at large is utterly indifferent to democracy: even solid majority decisions don't make it budge. I am working in the R&D department of a leading solar energy company, because I know that in the not so far future renewable energy will be an absolute necessity for development and to keep our living standards. But at the same time, I am fully aware that they will not be enough, and that they will have a relatively small impact on slowing global warming. One should be aware, though, that in a complex dynamic system even a small difference can have a big impact. It may be the little difference, that keeps the system from reaching a tipping point - a tipping point that surely exists, only we do not precisely know where. At the same time playing with ideas of planetary engineering is ridiculous. We have been doing planetary engineering for the last 5000 Years e.g. by means of massive land use change (deforestation and turning prairie into crop fields - and deserts), alteration of river flows, changing the atmospheric composition, even the entire makeup of the biosphere. All this did was bring us into a dangerous situation, and further doctoring around on a system we only have a very remote understanding would hardly do any good. Well. and today Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany is meeting with Mr. George Bush, diskussing "Climate Change". In between two other topics: Making car exports from and to the US easier and making air traffic from and too the US easier. HARRRR!!! You cannot stare down reality, because it has no eyes.
